Tell me a book where you said, "wow, that was blankety blank awful!"

[MrsMuddle]

Following on from the other thread, which books did you hate with a passion? I'll start with The Accidental by Ali Smith, and also Mr Golightly's Holiday by Sally Vickers. Both appallingly awful books, IMO. Next...

The Historian by whoever that was. Yawn.

And lately a 1980 Mills&Boon book of my MIL's I read for a laugh - nice imagery, but stupid plot of very contrived misunderstandings, baffling misinterpretations and dialogue so archaic I could barely understand half of it!

Sally by Freya North. Read it for a book club some years ago and every one hated it with a vengeance. It is so dreary to have an attempt at erotic writing on page 1. Total turn off. Who would have thought sex and shopping could be so boring? Would never have finished it if not reading for book club.

Loved Stone Diaries and Mill on the Floss, but each to her own. Also love all Jane Austen, and films based on her novels: Clueless and Bridget Jones.

I am a bit scared to read Birdsong. Vowed never to read any more S Faulks after Charlotte Gray, in which I found the story of the 2 little jewish boys just unbearably distressing. Not that it was badly written - the opposite.

Sunnywong - agree with you about Dickens (except Christmas Carol) but not Moll Flanders - that was a romp.

The Accidental is next on my Book Group's list. worst one I've read was by Jasper Fforde. can't remember the title but I gather they're all pretty much the same. couldn't finish it, utter crap.

I'm glad someone mentioned The Time Traveller's Wife. I hated it, too, but thought I was the only person in the world that didn't love it. (I did enjoy We Need To Talk About Kevin, though...)

Mrs Muddle you're definitely not on your own there. I thought it was rubbish too - quite a few do. one dimensional, boring characters who left me cold. not a good basis for a love story

Message withdrawn

Oh yes Possession was like wading in mud. But strangely enough I liked the film.

I thought Perfume was awful, and the film looks worse

Have just found this thread. Really pleased that Thankyoupoppet liked Birdsong- I agree that it's the best book I have ever read, probably. And I also agree with a couple of people about the worst thing I have read lately, namely We Need to Talk About Kevin, Hated hated hated it, mainly for its self indulgence but also for the sheer depressing nature of it.

my MIL gave me abook by Cecilia Ahearn, can't remember what it's called, but something baout what if fairies really do exist. meant to be a grown up fairy story.
Awful.
i'm willing to go into war against those who dis Jane Austin. Have you not read MAnsfiled PArk? was Fanny not a feminisit?

I was recommended P S I Love You by Cecilia Aherne by two quite sensible people, one of whom gave me a copy, but found it soembarrassingly sentimental and gave it away without finishing it.

Re Mansfield Park: have you seen the film version with Harold Pinter and if so what did you think about the implication of lesbian attraction between Fanny and Miss C? And is it really all that feminist to marry a man who has previously put you second to a woman he considered more attractive? But I agree it's a great book.

The Playground Mafia

Turgid and boring - struggled to finish it. Was disappointed as it has been higly recommended by some mumsnetters and I expected a gripping read

The Witches of Chiswick - ick, ick, ick. Can't believe I finished it, just kept thinking it would get better...

i'm glad someone agrees with me about Ahearn, overbearingly sentimental - i gave the book away without finisheing it. also VERY badly written!
hmm, yes i know Austen does always end with 'but i forgive him 'cos he married me', but in those days, that was a big deal, and also, look at how those men knelt down & admitted all their faults. now that's a clever trick.

White Swans. Had to FORCE myself to finish it and I usually love that kind of thing.

And Captain Corelli's is the other book I have never ever managed to get through. TURGID

I found White Swans v powerful and also informative about Chinese history. What's not to like?

KAA - you're right that Fanny Price monopolises the moral highground while eventually sinners acknowledge the error of their ways. Although don't Henry and Mary Crawford blame Fanny for Henry's disastrous elopement with Maria?

London sodding Fields

Ones with murders and the authors name in big gold letters - I keep hoping they'll turn out to be genuinely exciting thrillers but they never bloody are. James Patterson is a particularly bad example.

Many of these
And Birdsong
And many late Ian McEwens.

'My Year of Meat' by Ruth Ozecki.
Dreadful predictable, stereotypical bilge with two dimensional characters.

MrsBadger, try Phil Rickman before you give up on the big gold letter books .

ooooooh I am excited, another Phil Rickman fan, I've read all the Merrily Watkins series, now need to start on his other ones.

I've tried now 3 times to read Captain Corelli's Mandolin, the last time after we had had a lovely holiday on Cefalonia. But it made little difference. Pretentious and deliberately obtuse twaddle.

But definitely can't agree about Jane Austen being on this list! Have just finished Pride & Prejudice (for about the millionth time!) and it was fnatastic. You have to remember that it was written in the 18th century and men and women lived totally different lives.

The trouble with Captain Corelli is that there are about 5 opening chapters, each seeming unrelated to the others. They do all come together eventually.

Before I read this book I had no idea what happened in Greece during WWII so found it v shocking.

That other Ahearn book, something w/'Rainbow' in the title that's not even worth remembering.

Pile of dung.

She should have just been more honest and stuck to writing for Avalon and Harlequin instead of trying to pass herself off as a real author, although I suspect her connections had something to do w/that.